Bag with carrying handle



May 5, 1970 J. R. HASTY ETAL I 3,509,927

' BAG WITH CARRYING HANDLE Filed Oct. 23, 1967 INVENTORS /4M$ R 5 457) Dram/v Aus/v/r ATTORNEYS W. Drill/115% United States Patent O 3,509,927 BAG WITH CARRYING HANDLE James R. Hasty, Piermont, and Steven Ausnit, New York, N.Y.; said Hasty assignor to Minigrip, Inc., Orangeburg, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 23, 1967, Ser. No. 677,445 Int. Cl. B65d 33/10, 33/24 U.S. Cl. 150-3 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improvements in bags, and more particularly to a reclosable bag of the type that can be supported and carried.

In developments of inexpensive plastic bags for merchandise, efforts have been made to achieve a number of objectives in an inexpensive mass produced bag. It is desirable to have a bag that is very light weight and which uses a minimum amount of plastic necessary for the strength of containing the contents. It is also desirable to have a bag which can be sealed so as to be moisture proof and dust proof and have a bag which is reclosable for reuse or for removing the merchandise, inspecting and replacing it. Such a closure should be such that it does not accidentally become opened to expose the contents of the bag. It is also desirable to have a bag that can be readily handled and carried, and it is further required that the bag can be stacked in large numbers until used.

Efforts to achieve a bag with the foregoing and additional requirements have met with disadvantages and have not proven entirely successful. Bags with handles have required them to be made out of excessively thick material which makes them difficult to store and stack or where smaller handles have been employed the bags have not been sealable or where the handle was cut out of the bag material the carrying forces distorted the bags and caused them to either become disfigured or to open thereby requiring the provision of heavier material than necessary for the optimum functions of the bags.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an improved bag with a support member at the top which achieves the foregoing objectives and that is light weight and inexpensive to manufacture. Thus, the

bag can be sealed at the top and will adequately protect its contents against dust and moisture, retain its shape when being handled and carried and will not inadvertently open.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved bag with a handle which avoids the disadvantages of structures heretofore available and is inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved handle bag having unique structural features which coact for the transferral of forces from both walls of the bag to the handle in such a manner that the bag does not tend to open or accidentally become opened, but can be easily opened when it is desired to do so.

A still further-object of the invention is to provide a handle bag which avoids the necessity of providing a heavy, space consuming handle, avoids the necessity of 3,509,927 Patented May 5, 1970 snap button closure arrangements with the attendant gaps in the bag closure, and avoiding the necessity of providing plural handle units.

Other objects and advantages and features will become more apparent with the teaching of the principles of the invention in connection with the disclosure of the preferred embodiments thereof of the specification, claims and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view illustrating a bag having a construction embodying the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the lines IIII of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is another fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating a slightly modified structure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1, a bag 10 is formed of a thin, lightweight, plastic film such as polyethylene or polyvinyl, and the film is arranged in order to form a bag with a first wall 14 and a second wall 15 (FIG. 2). The walls are attached or seamed at their lower edge 11 and at their side edges 12 and 13 to form a pouch or bag which has an access opening in the top. In the event the walls are made of one sheet of film, then this sheet is folded at edge 11 to form front and back walls 15 and 14.

Along the top is a pressure reclosable continuous plastic fastening means which is shown as being integral with the bag in the form of FIG. 2 and as being attached to the bag top in the form of FIG. 3. The pressure closable fastener has interlocking rib and groove elments with the groove elements shown at 18 and the rib element at 19. The groove element 18 has an elongate continuous groove for receiving the head of the rib element 19. The groove is formed between upper and lower hooks, with the lower hook shown at 20. The rib element has a downwardly extending hook 21 which is shaped to coact with the hook 20 of the groove element 18. The hook 20 of the groove element has an inwardly facing surface 20a which faces the first wall 14. The hook 21 of the rib element has an inwardly facing surface 21a which faces the second wall 15 and lockingly engages the surface 20a. This relationship of the hooks 20 and 21 is significant for maintaining the container closed and for the transferal of bag supporting forces as will later herein appear more clear.

Above the pressure interlocking profile elements 18 and 19 are flanges 16 and 17. Attached to the first flange 16 of the first wall 14 is a bag carrying member 22 preferably in the form of a handle. The handle is shown with a hand gripping opening 23 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and is shaped so that it may be carried in the manner shown by the hand 29.

The handle 23 necessarily is straight and flat and relatively inflexible. A preferred structure of the handle 22 is with an inner, thin, flat core of cellulosic fiberboard such as cardboard 27 having outer layers 25 and 26 of laminated thermoplastic similar to the thermoplastic material of the bag, so that the handle can be heat sealed to the bag.

The handle 22 has a lower, flat beam with end extensions 22a and 22b. The beam is straight and parallel to the continuous rib and groove elements 18 and 19 and supports the rib and groove elements in their interlocked relation in a straight line so that the weight of the contents on the bag walls 14 and 15 does not tend to distort the rib and groove elements and open them. For this purpose the beam ends 22a and 22b preferably extend part way to the edges of the bag, although unless the bag has very heavy contents, they do not need to extend all of the way to the edges. The handle is attached continuously to the flange 16 so as to provide uniform straight line support. The handle is conveniently attached by a heat seal 16a which can be formed by heat laminating the thermoplastic flange 16 to the thermoplastic layer 26 of the handle.

The attachment between the handle and the flange 16 is such that the handle preferably extends downwardly substantially close to the interlocking rib and groove elements 18 and 19. This provides for a more uniform and more direct transmission of the force of the handle to the flange, both for carrying the load of the bag and for pulling the bag open when the flange 17 and the handle 22 are pulled laterally outwardly directly away from each other in order to separate the rib element 19 from the groove element 18.

With the relationship of the structural elements, it is possible to use a single handle member 22 without endangering the inadvertent opening of the bag.

Also, when attaching the handle to the flange of the bag, by using a thin handle, it is possible to use the engaged lock as a guide to correctly position the handle for scaling in place.

The contents within the bag will exert forces on the first and second walls 14 and 15 as shown by the arrows 35 and 30, respectively. The force 30 on the second wall tends to pull the wall downwardly, and this force is transmitted uniformly along the top of the wall to the rib element as indicated by the arrows 31. The interengagement of the surfaces 21a and 20a transmits the force to the base ofthe groove element 18, and through the groove element 18 to the flange 16 as indicated by the arrows 32. The flange 16, of course, transmits the force load to the handle as indicated by the arrow 33, with the force distributed uniformly along the lower beam portion of the handle 16.

The downward force on the first wall as indicated by the arrows 32. The flange 16, of course, transmits the indicated by the arrow 35a to be transmitted to the flange 16 and to the handle 22.

A similar phenomena is utilized in the arrangement of FIG. 3 which has first and second walls 40 and 41 bonded by heat seals at 44 and 45 to fastener strips 42 and 43. The fastener strips have upper flanges 50 and 51 and marginal portions 46 and 47 with interlocking ribs and grooves thereon. Ribs 48 of the marginal portion 46 extend upwardly and coact with downwardly projecting ribs or hooks 49 of the marginal portion 47. The upwardly extending hooks 48 thereby have inwardly facing surfaces which engage inwardly facing surfaces of the hooks 49. With this interrelationship, loads on the second wall 41, as indicated by the arrow 52, are transmitted through the hooks 49 as shown by the arrows 53. These are transferred to the hooks 48 of the marginal portion 46 as indicated by the arrows 54. The forces then are transferred upwardly as indicated by the force arrows 55 through the flange 50 to a handle 52. The handle is of a construction similar to the handle of FIG. 2 and is bonded at 52a to the flange 50.

The forces on the first wall 40 as indicated by the arrowed line 56 are transmitted directly up through the wall to the closure strips lower flange 42 and to the handle 52.

The handle 52 is also attached close to the marginal portion 46 so as to leave substantially little space therebetween thus permitting direct transmission of force both for carrying the load and for opening the bag. Opening, of course, is accomplished by pulling the handle 52 and the flange 51 laterally directly away from each other.

An important feature of each of the carrying members 22 and 52 is that they are flat, stiff and thin/They are thin so that when placed close to the locking elements, as is generally desirable, they avoid exerting an opening force between the interlocking elements when the bag is stacked flat, and allow easy closing of the fastener elements, which would be prevented by a heavy handle. The thickness of the handle 23 is shown at 27 in FIG. 2, and this thickness is necessarily less, or at least no greater than the thickness 28. of the rib and groove elements 18 and 19.

Thus, it will be seen that there has been provided a bag with a handle for carrying which is dust proof and moisture proof and which achieves the objectives and advantages setforth above. The structure utilizes an inexpensive thin material for the handle and accomplishes ease of manufacture and assembly. The carrying forces are transmitted up to a single handle in a unique manner and are actually transmitted from one wall to another at a common location in such a manner as to prevent opening of the bag. The structure further prevents distortion of the bag; The structure further prevents distortion of the fastener elements and of the bag walls.

Although the drawings and specification present a detailed disclosure of preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific form disclosed, but covers all modifications, changes, and alternative constructions falling within the scope of the principles taught by the invention.

We claim: 1. A bag construction comprising: flexible first and second side walls joined along their edges for defining a flexible bag-type container with the upper edges of the walls separable to provide an opening at the top for access to the container,

coacting continuous pressure interlocking rib and groove elements positioned below the upper edges of the walls for joining the walls and closing the container and defining an upper flange at the top of each of Said side walls, and a relatively inflexible flat carrying member attached to the flange of the first side wall above said elements and extending above the container for supportingly carrying the container, said carrying member being relatively thinner than the thickness of said rib and groove elements so that the carrying member does not tend to exert any force to open and separate the rib and groove elements thereon, said rib and groove elements separable by the application of a separating force applied to the first flange through the carrying member and directly to the second flange drawing the upper edges of the walls apart in a direction normal to the walls and said elements transmitting a portion of a bag supporting force of the carrying member to the walls of the bag below the interlocking elements from the first wall to the second wall through said elements. 2. A bag construction according to claim 1, wherein said carrying member has a straight lower edge extending along said elements with substantially no space between the edge and elements so that the elements are prevented from flexing.

3. A bag construction comprising: flexible first and second side walls joined along their edges for defining a flexible bag-type container with the upper edges of the walls separable to provide an opening at the top for access to the container.

coacting continuous pressure interlocking ribs and 'groove elements positioned below the upper edge of the walls for joining the walls in closing the container and defining an upper flange at the top edge of each of said side walls, and

a relatively inflexible fiat carrying member attached to the flange of the first side wall immediately above said elements with substantially no space therebetween and extending above the container for supportingly carrying the container, said rib and groove elements separable by application of a separating force applied to the first flange through the carrying member and directly to the second flange drawing the upper edge of the walls apart in a direction normal to the walls, said elements being a size relatively larger than the thickness of the carrying member so that the rib and groove elements can be easily interlocked even though the edge of the carrying member is immediately adjacent to these elements, and said elements transmitting a portion of a bag supporting force of the carrying member to the walls of the bag below the interlocking elements from the first Wall to the second wall through said elements.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 10/ 1965 Great Britain.

10 DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 927 Dated y 5, 1970 Inventor) James R. Hasty and Steven Ausnit It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the Specification:

Col. 2, line 2 "avoiding" should read -avoids- Col. 3, line 39 the line should read --the arrow 35 is carried directly along the first wall as- SIGNED All m OCT 27 i970 SEAL) Attest:

Edward H. Fletclltmlr.

Attestmg' m I I W- m dominionof Patents F ORM PO-I 050 (lO-69l USCOMM-DC 60376-969 a u s Govlnuutm I'RHIYHIG orncr nu o-ns-ua 

